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Monday, December 3, 2012

Smoke Filled Rooms (part 1)

By ACI for Borderland
Beat

It’s no secret that the drug war is a dirty war.A war fought with deception, betrayal and
lies.As in any war information is often
the single most prized possession.This
war is no different.Informants may be the
single most important asset the government possesses.These people are not angles; they are often
narcos, killers or any range of unsavory and unpleasant characters.They provide information for gain not for
justice.

Informants by their very
nature are part of the mechanism the government is trying to defeat.This
is the beginning of a series that illustrates the role one informant played in this
ever evolving and ever changing war.The
following story is based on truth and it all started with an email.

Somewhere in Mexico

He stared at his computer screen; watching the curser blink.In all of his years doing this kind of work
he never thought he would do this.An
unsettling feeling set in; a combination of fear, excitement and betrayal.The room was dark, the only light coming
from the screen on the computer.It was
set up in a corner of the room and it was ancient.The fan inside made an awful humming sound, a
small radio played music in the background.

The room itself wasn’t big; maybe 10 by 12 feet, the walls
were bare except for a picture of the Virgin Mary in the center of a wall.The room had tiles floors, not much in the
way of furniture.A mattress on the floor
was covered by mound of sheets and cloths.A few religious candles lay on the floor.In the corner of the room was a small alter.A statue of Santa Muerte was at the
center.It was surrounded with little
offerings, several candles, some pesos, and a few pictures of Jesus
Malverde.There was no need to guess his
occupation.

Papers littered the floors; boxes filled with files were
everywhere.Many would kill for these
files.Old beer cans overflowing with
cigarettes butts covered the desk.There
he sat, staring through the smoke at the screen.The cursor continued to blink off and on the
send button.He knew once he sent this
it would be final, it could not be undone.But this information was worth money; a lot of money.He sat in his chair; smoke rose in front of
his face, his wire rimmed glasses reflected what was on the screen.The ash on the end of his cigarette fell on
to his lap, he wiped it away, and pondered what his next move was.

There was someone who could help, someone who knew what to
do with information.It was through his
sister that he learned of a man, someone with the knowhow to take his
information and convert it into money.He was hesitant and scared.This
wasn’t about doing the right thing; this was about money, pure and simple.He would try to tell himself he was righting his wrongs but he
knew that was a lie.He knew the risk he
was about to take, he knew that he was putting those around him in danger.After that thought the pit in his stomach
grew and a bead of sweet ran down his brow, he wiped it away with his arm.Was this worth it?Could this man be trusted?

Trust means something else when your life is on the line.He thought how most people take this
granted.He sure did, he thought of the
time when his girlfriend cheated on him.A smirk came across his face.Those were the simpler times when misplaced trust ended in a broken
heart not a death sentence.But this was
an entirely different game, one which his life hung in the balance.If this man wasn’t who he said he was he knew
he was a dead man.

He pressed the send button; there was no turning back now.

Somewhere in the US

Jack had lived quite the life.If he told his life story no one would believe him, I didn’t at first.Most
would assume that he is some made up character in some crime novel.It was the stuff movies are made of.His life has been a tangled web of
coincidence and luck.Through a series
of events he ended up being a CI or confidential informant for the FBI.The case would end up shaping Jack’s life and
world.

Jack was picked purely because he knew the people that
surrounding the government’s target.The
government thought Jack could get them access to a dangerous man on the
run.And they were right; with Jacks
assistance the government finally arrested a man they have been hunting for years.There was a substantial reward being offered and
Jack wanted his piece. Jack assumed as
most would that upon capture he would receive his reward.One might assume that a check would be sent
out upon request, this however did not happen.It took years for the reward to pay out and it was though this
experience that Jack learned how the system worked.

Jack had several articles written about his struggle to
obtain the reward, he exposed a system few talk about.He gained recognition for his struggle.Then one day he received an email.It was from a man in Mexico.The email simply stated; I know a man from
Colombia who smuggles fifty tons of coke into the US regularly and I know where
he is, regards Ivan.

@ 2:39pm Oh please with the bible thumping, why are you reading here? This is a education you obviously need to be informed of. BorderlandBeat provides a education for us folks that otherwise we would not have access too. Not sure what "filth" you mean, maybe if you are such a "Christian" you could take time out of your stellar fulfilling happy life and read about what is really happening in Mexico and how millions are affected daily by the violence. Hate when people bring the bible into a conversation that spews negativity. Why don't you start praying for Mexico instead of knocking the "filth"? Don't use the bible to co-sign your ignorance. It is pretty insulting to bash this website because of your uneducated hateful view on the current state of affairs in Mexico. The owner of this site and his reporters are doing a great public service by reporting the truth as it happens. What have you contributed to the world today? Check yourself